Funding for the Centre for Public Inquiry withdrawn

by Listener Mon Dec 12, 2005 17:37

That inteview on the RTE1 news at one (radio) was amazing. Ubermeister seemed all over the place. His relationship with the Sindo should really be investigated.

by the shadow Mon Dec 12, 2005 17:22

Unfortunately Finian McGrath walked into an ambush by putting the Dail question concerning the Centre for Public Inquiry to McDowell in the first place.
Finian did not think it through.-his question gave the Minister the opportunity
to attack Frank Connolly and the Centre.
McDowell's justification for his attack is very questionable and raised some serious questions as to the role and function of the DPP.
They have had a file on alleged illegal activities concerning Frank Connolly for 4 years and given that they had not moved on the matter would lead most reasonable people to conclude that there is not concrete evidence of wrongdoing.Added to that is Frank Connolly's categoric denial of the claims made against him.
This is about shutting Mr Connolly up for his political mischief. His journalsitic successes over the years have not gone down well with the political class. The last thing these people want is someone like the CPI to shine a light into dark places in Irish business and politics.

The Minister's interpretation of his constitutional powers is open to question.
The presumption of innocence until guilt is proven is an important democratic value.
Whim politics or Mr Mc Dowells gut feeling or his political philosophy should not be allowed supercede this right. .
Should Mc Dowell go ? Certainly.
Will he go? Will he f**k to quote the tribunal. He knows he has overstepped the mark and is trying to contruct the "in the interest of the state" defense for his actions.
Whatever you think of Frank Connolly, and I would hold him in high regard, the issue here is one of democratic freedoms.
As many of your contributors have asked. Who is next

by Plod Mon Dec 12, 2005 15:19

If you have not got a garda file already one will be started the moment you ask whether you have one.

by William Mon Dec 12, 2005 15:10

If I asked Michael McDowell whether there was a Garda file on me and what was in it, do you think he'd oblige? Would I have to convince him first that I was a threat to the State?

By the way, I suppose Indymedia is lucky that it doesn't have a "boss". If it did, (s)he might find her/his police files appearing in one of Tony O'Reilly's newspapers.

by redjade Mon Dec 12, 2005 15:08

Gov't Rep of Ireland pays €7m a year to Ireland's PR Companies - a €60m a year industry - making the Irish Government the PR industry's largest customer.

source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1920099,00.html

by HoHoHo Mon Dec 12, 2005 15:04

From that link provided by Freedom Fries:
"...the Communist Party of Ireland, ideologically committed to the violent overthrow of the state..."
You have to hand it to these Freedom Institute people, they know how to give us a good laugh.

by William Mon Dec 12, 2005 14:54

Michael McDowell has just admitted that he provided to the Irish Independent the passport application made by Frank Connolly. He was being interviewed on the News At One on RTE Radio One. When asked was it appropriate to provide confidential documents to a newspaper, he said that because the application was false, it was not a confidential document.

Sean O'Rourke gave a good grilling, but he resorted to his usual arrogance and disdain for critics, and cited his duty to protect the state from "subversion".

by Helper Mon Dec 12, 2005 14:51

Wouldn't a donation from 26 millions sterling not help out the CPI?

by SH Mon Dec 12, 2005 14:46

McDowell, if he had any courage in his convictions, should repeat his allegations outside of Dail privileges. So far he has refused. He has also repeatedly turned down media interviews, including Morning Ireland this morning. Now we all know that McDowell loves media attention but he also doesn't want to be sued. If Frank Connolly was guilty then he should have been charged, the DPP are not prosecuting in this case as the evidence is not their for a conviction.

McDowell is a coward who has abused Dail privileges in an attempt to destroy a journalist from doing a very important job in exposing State corruption.

by Disgusted Mon Dec 12, 2005 14:25

An issue which a lot of commentators in the press seem to have forgotten in this, is that it was Frank Connolly who first reported on the McBrearty case, and now it has been established by the Morris Tribunal that many members of the Garda Síochána did not apply best practice in their daily work, to put it mildly. He was one of the main people who brought this absolute scandal to light. The Garda and their boss, Mr McDowell, want to get rid of this journalist, discredit him, destroy his career, make any further work by him in this field impossible. The leaking of a bogus passport application form to the press (by whom?) and the leaking of information (because that's what it is) by the Minister under Dáil privilege is a warning to all people who dare to investigate those with power and money in this State. McDowell says he got his information from the Garda Síochána, in whose interest it also is to get rid of this journalist. Why should we believe the Gárda in light of the McBrearty case and others? And they got their supposed information from the Colombians - hardly known for their impeccable human rights' record. Brian Cowen refused to comment on the leaking of passport application forms to the media in his appearance on The Week in Politics last night. It appears that the entire government are colluding in this witch-hunt, and are abusing the Dáil and the law in the process. I really fear that we are living in a police state. Who is next in line for a show trial? Keep your heads down!

by Freedom Fries Mon Dec 12, 2005 13:23

Michael McDowell and the Centre for Public Inquiry

'Accordingly, it is our position that the Minister acted properly in alerting the Centre's backers to the situation as determined by the security services. Given the opinion of the security services, it is reasonable to deem the Centre for Public Inquiry to be part of a credible threat to Irish democracy'

http://www.freedominst.org/2005/12/michael-mcdowell-and-centre-for-public.html

by eeekkkkkk Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:47

just a fyi

In the ongoing western (titled 'spill the beans') that is ireland the cowboys no matter how black their hats always get away to screw the taxpayer another day and the journalists always get it in the head. Two tribunal generating journalists - nobody goes to jail and no-one is punished - except the two journalists.

by reddub Mon Dec 12, 2005 01:50

frank connolly has been a thorn in the establishments side for many years, his stories were directly responsible for the tribunals into garda and planning corruption.

the government repeatedly span against his centre on the grounds only the state can investigate these matters (where that leaves the press is another matter).

so they set out to get him, and by extension, his organisation.

whether he was in columbia or not, the state are using the allegation to destroy him, some use the mantra he had to be whiterthan white and isnt, others that his center is an organ of the PIRA.

regardless, the minister for justice (sic) has used garda intellegence about a man who has never even been charged with a crime under parlimentary privilege. this is new and very dangerous.

all very sinister.

by pat c Sun Dec 11, 2005 14:31

"A board member of the Centre for Public Inquiry (CPI) has launched a verbal assault on Minister for Justice Michael McDowell for his Dáil attack last week on the centre's executive director, Frank Connolly.

Broadcaster Damien Kiberd, a former editor of The Sunday Business Post, said McDowell sought “to deprive Frank Connolly of his right to earn a living as a journalist and by extension to support his wife and children'‘. Kiberd said: “Like most bullies he [McDowell] is completely yellow.” "

Full story at link.

by C Fri Dec 09, 2005 13:18

Charity pulls plug on public inquiry body

Journalist says justice minister made false accusations timed to deflect attention from gas report

A leading Dublin journalist who has exposed government shortcomings in its dealings with the Corrib Gas Controversy last night told Daily Ireland he was “disappointed” at the decision of his funders to withdraw their support.

Atlantic Philanthropies Ireland said the decision to cease funding the centre, which had been under constant attack from Independent newspapers and Justice Minister Michael McDowell, was taken “after several weeks of discussion”.

Frank Connolly said funding was due to be renewed in January. “We will now have to meet to discuss how the important work of the centre can be brought forward,” he said.

...

by D'other Wed Dec 07, 2005 23:40

I'm sure they moved on to some other pet liberal cause, and invested it wisely in some multicultural nonesense of an advertising campaign along the lines of Anti-Racist Workplace Week which conflated the interests the employer with the employee, foregrounding issues of race, without even a mention of the deliberate construction of the insecure migrant identity by the state to facilitate the needs of the economy.


Franchise Owner: "Ah Jaysus, sure we couldn't not be anti-racist these days, whats with all thems eastern Europeans in the hi-vis vests buying up them breakfasts rolls on a morning. Sure racism is bad for business, but by heck we'll make good solid use of them China girls behind the checkouts. Them's good cheap workers, glad to have a job, they get paid nothin' at home. No need for a union round these parts."

Liberals: "Remember folks, we're all in this one together, employer, worker and state. Once you know about racism, you have to act, its in our interest."

by conexions Wed Dec 07, 2005 23:22

I believe it was Atlantic Philanthropies that gave CADIC a big load of money to work on the issue of Irish Born Children and Asylum Seekers - what happened with that money, I do not know.

http://www.integratingireland.ie/cadic/

by gay geori Wed Dec 07, 2005 23:12 gg at bearla dot ie

Why don't you do BE THE MEDIA brid. you can even join Frank's little gang and throw in a few quid for his next south american holiday where i presume he was investigating "planning corruption"....

by eeekkkk Wed Dec 07, 2005 22:31

who else?

maybe citizens.

by brid Wed Dec 07, 2005 22:28

The CPI was shaping up to be a great organisation. Such a pity the funding has been withdrawn. Who will now investigate all the corruption in Planning in this country?

by * Wed Dec 07, 2005 22:12

and that's the truth ruth